Fly Like an Eagle (song)

The band first performed the song in 1973[3] while performing at New York City's Felt Forum on a bill with The Marshall Tucker Band, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells.[4]

An earlier 1973 version features a more bluesy and less funk-inspired rhythm, with the guitar taking the synthesizer parts (albeit with similar delay effects).[5] The lyrics are slightly different, indicating that the place the eagle wants to fly away from is a Native American reservation. The final, funk-inspired album version pays homage to "Slippin' into Darkness" by War (1971).

It was re-recorded for the eponymous album released in 1976.[3]

The guitar hook was first used in a slightly different form on Miller's 1969 track "My Dark Hour" (which featured Paul McCartney).

The original Steve Miller Band version sold over one million copies.[6] The Seal version had sold over 300,000 units as of April 5, 1997.[7]

Billboard Magazine described the Steve Miller Band version as "uncharacteristically thoughtful, but rivetingly attention grabbing."[8]

• Steve Miller — lead vocals, guitar, ARP Odyssey
• Lonnie Turner — bass
• Gary Mallaber — drums
• Joachim Young — B3 organ

"Fly Like an Eagle"
Single by Seal
from the album Space Jam: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
B-side	"Instrumental"
Released	November 21, 1996 (1996-11-21)
Recorded	September 1996
Genre	Funk rock R&B space rock
Length	4:14
Label	ZTT Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Steve Miller
Producer(s)	Seal; Rashad "Ringo" Smith (additional production)
Seal singles chronology
"Don't Cry" / "Prayer for the Dying" (1995) "Fly Like an Eagle" (1996) "Human Beings" (1998)

Twenty years after Miller's original version, British artist Seal covered "Fly Like an Eagle" for the Space Jam soundtrack, even sampling Miller's original "Space Intro" parts in the song's chorus. This version peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Canadian RPM 100 Chart. The single was Seal's first (and, as of 2020, last) top ten since 1995's "Kiss from a Rose".

According to Seal, the executive producer of the Space Jam soundtrack, Dominique Trenier, asked him to record it. D'Angelo, who was managed by Trenier, played keyboards on the song. Seal said that Steve Miller approved of the cover version and at one point called him "thanking me and saying that was the best cover of the song that he had heard."[16]

• Biz Markie sampled the song in his 1986 song, "Nobody Beats the Biz", that was released on his debut album Goin' Off (1988).
• EPMD sampled the song in the song, "You're A Customer", from the album Strictly Business (1988).
• The British dance project Habit released a groovy version of the song as a single (1990) and on their album Precious (1991).
• The Neville Brothers covered this song on their album Family Groove in 1992. Steve Miller played some guitar parts on this version.
• Religious gospel singer Yolanda Adams covered the song and did the medley from her 1995 album, More Than a Melody.
• In 1998, guitarist Ed Hamilton covered the song from his album Groovology.[39][40]
• American nu metal band Limp Bizkit reference the song's hook on their song "Crushed", which featured on the soundtrack of the film End of Days (1999).
• Part of the vocals was sampled by Nate Dogg in Xzibit's song "Been a Long Time" on the album Restless (2000).
• Portugal. The Man covered the song for the French radio station Mouv'.
• American metal band In This Moment covered the song for their seventh album Mother.
• Canadian underground hip-hop artist TRVNQUILITY released a slow groovy version of the song as a single and for his debut demo album ''KAOS'' (2021).

• The song is featured as a playable song in Rock Band 3.[41]
• In 2012, "Fly Like an Eagle" was chosen as "the best-ever song about birds" by Birds & Blooms magazine. "We’re not at all surprised by the popularity of Steve Miller's Fly Like An Eagle with our readers," said Birds & Blooms' editor Stacy Tornio in a press release. "It’s an iconic song for the iconic American bird." Other notable songs on the Birds & Blooms list were Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" and the Beatles' "Blackbird".[42]